Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Football: World Cup

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment theyhave made of the possibility of a joint bid to host the 2030 Football World Cup comprising the Football Associations of England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales; and what support they would give to any such bid.

lord ashton of hyde: The matter of hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup is a question for the home nations’ football associations to first consider. FIFA has yet to publish details of the bidding process and no assessment has been made but the government is very much willing to sit down with the relevant partners and discuss any proposal to bid for the World Cup in 2030.

Gambling: Suicide

lord chadlington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to commissioning research into gambling-related suicides to ensure that sufficient information is available about such deaths.

lord ashton of hyde: The charity GambleAware, which commissions research, education and treatment for problem gamblers, has established an expert steering group to help build a better shared understanding of gambling-related harms, chaired by the deputy chair of the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board (RGSB), expert advisers to the Gambling Commission.RGSB recently published a paper mapping out methodology that could be used to quantify and monitor the social and economic impact of gambling-related harms.The proposed model details nine metrics across three key areas (resources, health and relationships), including the number of suicides and suicide attempts. As part of this work it will look at what research needs to be done and the paper sets out an initial proposal for secondary analysis of key survey datasets, to help to give insight into the relationship between self-harm, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts and problem gambling.The Department of Health and Social Care is also working with DCMS and other stakeholders to examine the issue of gambling-related suicide. Suicide prevention is a priority for Government and DHSC updated the National Suicide Prevention Strategy last year to strengthen its key areas for action.

Lotteries

the earl of clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the response byViscount Younger of Leckie on 16 July ( HL Deb, col 1126) that "current evidence suggests that while players see the two types of lottery as distinct, there is little danger of product substitution", what is that evidence.

lord ashton of hyde: The Government is currently consulting on reforms to society lottery sales and prize limits. Our aim in reforming society lotteries is to allow for further growth in the sector, whilst ensuring that growth does not have a detrimental impact on the National Lottery. The consultation options have been informed by expert advice from the Gambling Commission, which was requested following a CMS Select Committee enquiry on society lotteries in March 2015. This advice has been published alongside the consultation, which I attach, and can be found at:http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/PDF/consultations/Society-lottery-advice-provided-to-DCMS-002.pdf In its comprehensive advice, the Gambling Commission advised that small changes to existing limits are likely to have minimal impact on the National Lottery, and that while society lotteries offer a differentiated product with smaller prizes, substitution between the two is likely to remain minimal. In conclusion, it said: “In the context of society lotteries and the National Lottery in GB, the [academic] studies would suggest that whilst society lotteries offer a differentiated product with smaller jackpot prizes, substitution between the society lotteries and the National Lottery is likely to remain minimal. Lifting restrictions on the society lottery sector may enable society lotteries to increase their sales but under existing conditions and therefore under small changes to existing limits the impact on the National Lottery is likely to be small.” 



Gambling Commission advice to DCMS
(PDF Document, 658 KB)

Museums and Galleries: Conditions of Employment

baroness grender: To ask Her Majesty's Government what actions they have taken, following the ruling of the Supreme Court in Pimlico Plumbers Ltd and another v Smith, to ensure that workers in museums and galleries in the UK that are public bodies have appropriate rights.

baroness grender: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, following the ruling of the Supreme Court inPimlico Plumbers Ltd and another v Smith, to advise those museums and galleries in the UK that are public bodies about sick pay and holiday pay.

baroness grender: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of people who work for UK museums and galleries that are public bodies who are on the payroll and taxed at source but inaccurately described as freelance, following the Supreme Court rulingin Pimlico Plumbers Ltd and another v Smith.

baroness grender: To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice they have given to those UK museums and galleries that are public bodies regarding the employment status of workers who have been employed for 10 years or more.

lord ashton of hyde: The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and Ministry of Defence both sponsor museums and galleries in England; these are all Arm’s Length Bodies (ALBs). The Border Force, part of the Home Office, also supports a collection (Seized!), housed in a DCMS museum ALB. All Government ALBs, including museums and galleries, are responsible for their own employment policies and processes, including ensuring that they comply with employment laws. The Government will be considering the Pimlico Plumbers LTD and another v Smith judgment as we prepare the response to our employment status consultation. The outcome of this consultation should help provide clarity for all public bodies, including ALBs, regarding the status and rights of of individuals who work for them, as well as advice on sick and holiday pay. More information regarding the consultation can be found here, and is attached: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/employment-status. National museums in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are sponsored by the respective devolved administrations. 



EMPLOYMENT STATUS CONSULTATION 
(PDF Document, 761.01 KB)

Gambling: Credit Cards

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of a ban on the use of credit cards for all forms of gambling, especially in regard to online gambling; and whether they have received any representations about such a ban.

lord ashton of hyde: The Government has received representations on the use of credit cards in gambling. In March 2018, the Gambling Commission announced the conclusions from its attached review of online gambling which can be found at: http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/PDF/Online-review-March-2018.pdf Among the changes proposed, the Gambling Commission announced that it would conduct further work to understand the risks of gambling on credit cards before consulting on options for change.

Social Enterprises

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they are working to promote social enterprise.

lord ashton of hyde: HMG has had a longstanding policy to support social enterprises, as an important part of a growing economy and a stronger society. Current areas of focus include:The forthcoming Civil Society Strategy will put social enterprises at the core of civil society and address strengthening the impact of the Social Value Act.The Crown Representative for the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sectors will ensure that social enterprises have a powerful voice in both commissioner and supplier communities.In June the Minister for the Cabinet Office announced a package of measures for the future of public service delivery which will increase the focus on social value in public procurement.We also continue to support and promote public service mutuals, many of which are social enterprises, and social enterprise awareness campaigns such as Social Saturday.

Broadband: Urban Areas

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to address the poor broadband speeds in some areas of the UK's conurbations, cities, and towns.

lord ashton of hyde: In those areas where decent broadband is not available, we are introducing a broadband Universal Service Obligation so that by 2020 everyone across the UK will have a clear, enforceable right to request high speed broadband of at least 10 Megabits per second. We will keep the speed and quality parameters under review to make sure that it keeps pace with consumers' evolving needs.  In addition, the Government’s ambition is for full fibre to 15 million premises by 2025 and nationwide coverage by 2033. On 23 July, the Government published its Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review, setting out approach to achieving our targets by promoting competition and commercial investment.  The Government is also investing in full fibre connectivity through our £280 million Local Full Fibre Networks programme. In March 2018, funding was allocated to 13 successful bidders, with projects in several UK cities, including London, Manchester, Cambridge, Cardiff, and Belfast.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Marine Protected Areas

lord birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Gardiner of Kimble on 9 July (HL8894), what assessment they have made of the information published by the Lundy Management Forumand the Community of Arran Seabed Trust in respect of Lamlash Bay, and the Atlas of Marine Protection in respect of Flamborough Head that indicate that the total area of all no take zones in UK waters is approximately 2.7 square miles.

lord gardiner of kimble: Defra has made no assessment of the information referred to. Once a Marine Protected Area is designated, matters relating to fisheries management become the remit of either local Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authorities (IFCAs) or the Marine Management Organisation. In the case of Flamborough Head, Northern Eastern IFCA is the responsible authority. MPAs are a devolved responsibility and so matters relating to Lamlash Bay fall under the remit of the Scottish Government. The consultation on the Third Tranche of Marine Conservation Zones closed on 20 July. As part of this consultation, we asked for views on whether we should establish Highly Protected Marine Areas in the future. These are areas where most or all human activities would not be permitted.

Recycling

baroness featherstone: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recommendation by the National Infrastructure Commission to introduce a target of 65 per cent recycling of municipal waste by 2030.

lord gardiner of kimble: The UK Government is committed to increasing the amount of material we recycle across both households and businesses. The UK recycling rate has increased from 41.2% in 2010 to 44.9% in 2016 but we recognise that more needs to be done.   In our Resources and Waste Strategy, due to be released this autumn, we will outline our plans to increase recycling rates. We want to make it easier for households and businesses to recycle. We also want to stimulate markets for secondary materials to ensure there is a greater incentive to recycle. We will consider the recommendations set out in the 2018 National Infrastructure Assessment on municipal waste targets when composing the Strategy.

Ivory

lord inglewood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the estimated total number of items in the UK which fall within the Ivory Bill's definition of pre-1947 items with low ivory content.

lord gardiner of kimble: During the consultation on our ivory ban, we sought evidence from the antiques trade and others, including on the nature and number of items in the UK that are made of or contain ivory. However, the data available is limited and we are therefore unable to specify how many items fall under this exemption.   However, once the ban is in force, we will be publishing headline data on the number of exemption certificates that have been issued for each category of exemption.

Hippopotamus: Zambia

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proposal for a cull of hippos to be conducted by trophy hunters on the Luangwa River in Zambia.

lord gardiner of kimble: The UK Government has not made an assessment of the proposal for a cull of hippos on the Luangwa River in Zambia.

Hippopotamus: Ivory

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the proposal for a cull of hippos to be conducted by trophy hunters on the Luangwa River in Zambia, whether they will bring forward consultation and legislation to ban the trade in ivory from hippos; and whether they plan to bring forward amendments to the Ivory Bill to include hippo ivory.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Ivory Bill will enact a ban in commercial dealing in elephant ivory in the UK that could directly or indirectly fuel the poaching of elephants. There is a delegated power within the Bill to allow the Secretary of State to extend the Bill to cover other ivory bearing species, such as the hippopotamus, through a regulation. The Government has committed to consulting on extending the ban as soon as possible. This consultation is necessary in order to ensure compliance with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), otherwise the whole ban would be put at risk.

Hippopotamus: Zambia

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact the proposed cull of hippos to be conducted by trophy hunters on the Luangwa River in Zambia will have on the ban on the trade in ivory contained in the Ivory Bill.

lord gardiner of kimble: No assessment has been made of the impact of the proposed cull of hippos to be conducted by trophy hunters on the Luangwa River in Zambia on the ban on the trade in ivory contained in the Ivory Bill. The Government has announced it will consult as soon as possible on extending the ivory ban to hippos. This consultation will allow an assessment to be made of all the appropriate evidence.